TRIPOLI (Reuters) – Almost every week, Prime Minister Ali Zeidan either tries to cajole the fighters choking off Libya’s crude exports or threatens to break their blockade by force.

Neither tactic has worked. Their leader, Ibrahim al-Jathran, dug in at ports his men seized in August, says he will sell Libya’s oil himself and carve out a semi-state unless the eastern region gets a fairer share of the revenues.

TRIPOLI (Reuters) – Five Egyptian diplomats kidnapped in Tripoli in retaliation for Egypt’s arrest of a Libyan militia commander have been freed, Libyan Deputy Foreign Minister Abdul Razak Al-Grady said on Sunday.

The abduction of diplomats in the Libyan capital illustrated the fragility of government control over former rebels and militias who two years ago helped topple Muammar Gaddafi in a NATO-backed revolution.

ALGIERS/TUNIS (Reuters) – Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s second visit to Paris for hospital treatment has reignited speculation the president who oversaw Algeria’s emergence from almost a decade of civil war may be unable to run for reelection in April.

Bouteflika, a Western ally against militant Islamists in North Africa who suffered a stroke last year, flew to France on Monday for what state news agency APS called a planned check-up, saying his condition was “progressively” improving.

ALGIERS/TUNIS (Reuters) – Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s second visit to Paris for hospital treatment has reignited speculation the president who oversaw Algeria’s emergence from almost a decade of civil war may be unable to run for reelection in April.

Bouteflika, a Western ally against militant Islamists in North Africa who suffered a stroke last year, flew to France on Monday for what state news agency APS called a planned check-up, saying his condition was “progressively” improving.

ALGIERS/TUNIS (Reuters) – Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s return to Paris for hospital treatment has reignited speculation the president who oversaw Algeria’s emergence from almost a decade of civil war may be unable to stand for re-election in three months’ time.

Bouteflika, a Western ally against militant Islamists in North Africa who suffered a stroke last year, flew to France on Monday for what state news agency APS called a planned check-up, saying his condition was “progressively” improving.

TUNIS (Reuters) – Thousands of Islamist and secular Tunisians marked the third anniversary of autocrat Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali’s downfall on Tuesday, celebrating in the closest the Arab world has to a model transition to democracy.

Crowds jammed Habib Bourguiba boulevard in the capital, Tunis, waving flags and chanting in friendly rivalry near the interior ministry building where protesters once shouted “Leave” to Ben Ali.

TUNIS (Reuters) – Tunisia’s Islamist Prime Minister Ali Larayedh resigned on Thursday to make way for a non-partisan caretaker government as part of a deal with his opponents to complete a transition to democracy.

Three years after an uprising against autocrat Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, Tunisia is in the final stages of establishing a full democracy before elections that would be a rare bright spot in an unstable region.

TUNIS (Reuters) – Tunisia’s Islamist Prime Minister Ali Larayedh resigned on Thursday to make way for a non-partisan caretaker government as part of a deal with his opponents to complete a transition to democracy.

Three years after an uprising against autocrat Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, Tunisia is in the final stages of establishing a full democracy before elections that would be a rare bright spot in an unstable region.

About Pat

"Patrick Markey is the Senior Andean Correspondent for Reuters, based in Bogota, Colombia. For the last nine years he has covered and helped manage coverage across the Andean region, including Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador. He has also reported on top stories across Latin America, including more recently the Honduras coup and Haiti's earthquake."